Humans make up the majority of the population of the Land of Mists. So large is the human population that many of them only know of other races through rumor or legend. They fill every niche in society and represent a wide spectrum of cultures and ethnic groups. Every human holds the potential to perform great good or commit great evil and can choose which path to follow. Humans are the masters of their own nature; it is both their greatest strength and their most fatal flaw.

Homelands: Human communities can be found in virtually every settled domain.

Recommended Feats: Any. See the "Nations of Ravenloft" section of this site for feat selection based on geographical regions.

Orcs are unknown in Ravenloft, even as creatures of legend. For this reason, no half-orcs are native to the Land of Mists. However, creatures do exist that fill the half-orc's role: calibans. Thankfully rare, calibans are twisted humans exposed to curses or foul magic while still in the womb. The birth of a caliban in a community is often seen as a sure sign of the presence of witchcraft. Calibans are physically powerful but misshapen humanoids. No two calibans look alike, but common deformities include twisted backs or limbs, asymmetrical features, bristly skin, or tusk-like teeth. They are widely considered brutish, savage creatures. In truth, many calibans *are* simple-minded, petty brutes, but this is often the product of their upbringing. Rejected as monsters, most calibans spend their lives hidden in dank
cellars or flee civilization to roam the wilds. In truth, a caliban's heart can be as pure and noble as that of any human.

Homelands: As creatures of unnatural origin, calibans can hail from any populated nation. Most are born in lands where magic is relatively common, such as Darkon, Hazlan, and Tepest.

Dwarves are a stout race. Their skin tones range from light tan to dark umber, and is often streaked with dust or soot. Hair color ranges from rust red to brown or black, though it often turns silver or slate gray by adulthood. They prefer somber, earthen tones for their clothing, often adorned with precious minerals.

The dwarven mindset centers on the forge and the family. They are grim and quiet--dwarves have no use for idle chatter and speak only when the situation demands it. They tell no jokes, sing only dirgelike songs, and frown on festivals or holidays. It is easy to understand why so many people consider the dwarves to be a dour race. They work hard and cannot abide laziness. Their craftsmanship, however, is often given the highest of praises.

Dwarves are an avaricious race, fond of gold and other precious metals. Their mines are always run efficiently and make high profits. They also favor strong drink, although this often makes them argumentative and brings about disputes and brawls.

It is difficult to imagine a more loyal friend or tenacious enemy than a dwarf. Anyone lucky enough to befriend one of these proud demi-humans will find an ally who stands by him in even the most dangerous situations. By the same token, however, angering one of these folk is not something undertaken lightly. Dwarf feuds often span decades and even centuries, with heirs often seeking revenge long after the death of the original combatants.

Dwarves claim a spiritual kinship with the earth itself. Some humans have distorted this, believing that dwarves are actually elemental spirits. Many human folktales speak of dwarves who require a diet of gold and gems or who turn to stone if touched by sunlight.

Homelands:

The center of dwarven culture is the town of Tempe Falls in Darkon, though nearby Corvia also hosts a sizeable dwarven population. Smaller dwarven communities have also spread south along the Balinoks and to other mountainous regions, such as the Sleeping Beast Mountains of Lamordia and even as far south as Barovia. In recent years, dwarven explorers have also been making inroads into the forsaken region of the Mountains of Misery once known as Arak. There they have been laboring to reopen the abandoned mines and a long-neglected trade route that once connected Tempe Falls to Liara in Nova Vaasa.

The "fair folk," as elves are often called, have elegant, honed features. Perhaps their most notable characteristics are their pointed ears, the distinctly almond shape of their eyes, and the angular brows that slant across their high foreheads. They are much more slender than humans and stand somewhat shorter.

Two seemingly unrelated elven societies exist in Ravenloft. The elves of Sithicus all share the traits of silvery hair and amber eyes. The elves of the other lands (most of whom dwell in Darkon) tend to have dark hair and eyes of green, violet, or gray. Both groups share the other features described above. They prefer to dress in light, fine fabrics like silk or satin. Sithican elves prefer drab colors, but the fashion of the other elves is set by season: pastel greens and blues are worn in the summer, followed by yellows, oranges, and reds in autumn. They restrict themselves to black, white, or gray in the winter, followed by an explosion of colors in the spring.

The elves are children of nature, respected by some humans but quietly feared by others. They measure their lives in centuries and lack the sense of urgency that seems to drive humans. In times of need they can react as quickly as any other race, but they see nothing wrong with dedicating months or years to perfecting a sonnet, observing beauty, or engaging in the pursuit of pleasure. Humans often call elves hedonistic and claim that they have only a bystander's understanding of death. In fact, in some lands, elves are commonly thought -- however
erroneously -- to be fey creatures, immortal nature spirits merely aping human form. More than one unfortunate elf has had their immortality tested by the inquisitors of Tepest.

The elves are well aware of the prejudice that most humans carry toward anything unusual or exotic. For that reason, they only reluctantly make their presence known and seldom seek the companionship of humans. Elves remain a reclusive folk who do their best to keep their cities hidden from the prying eyes of men and monsters. While they may seem to be as rare as dwarves or the other demi-human races, this may not be the case. The reclusive nature of Ravenloft's elves suggests the possibility of elf villages--perhaps even cities -- so well camouflaged that mankind has never discovered them.

Homelands:

Darkon's Mistlands contain three primarily elven communities -- Neblus, Nevuchar Springs, and Sidnar -- where elves mingle freely with other races. On the far side of the Core, Sithicus stands as the only nation with a primarily nonhuman population. Legends speak of still more elven cities hidden from human eyes by powerful elven magic or the Mists.

Recommended Feats: Alertness, Scribe Scroll, any metamagic feat

Base Outcast Rating: 3

Names: (NOTE: for Sithican Elven names, see the section on Sithicus under "Other Nations of Ravenloft."

The Celtic Pantheon. (NOTE: The elves of Sithicus do not practice any religion, though there are relics of a faith steeped in draconic idolatry found throughout their lands; this religion was apparently abandoned some time ago)

Gnomes are spindly humanoids with tanned skin and wizened faces. They have fair hair and large, sparkling blue eyes. Most humans find gnomes less threatening than other nonhumans simply due to their small size, but humans remain wary of gnomes' reputed inborn magical powers and eccentric personalities. Gnomes prefer to wear comfortable clothes in bright, primary colors, decorated with gem-encrusted jewelry that would be gaudy by anyone else's standards.

Gnomes possess intense intellectual curiosity. They are fascinated by intricate details, be they riddles or the fine cogs of a pocket watch. Gnomes enjoy nothing so much as solving a difficult puzzle--building patterns out of chaos. They often work as alchemists, gemcutters, engineers, or clockmakers.

Many gnomes also possess a wicked, morbid sense of humor. They often pass the time by telling macabre tales laced with irony, and they enjoy playing practical jokes, particularly on anyone they consider too dour. Gnomish practical jokes are usually remarkably elaborate but are virtually never intended to cause the recipient any true harm.

Homelands:

The largest settlement of gnomes in Ravenloft is the town of Mayvin in Darkon. Demand for gnomish skill has also drawn small communities (less than a hundred or so) to Valachan and Hazlan. The largest gnomish settlement outside Darkon exists in Nova Vaasa, where it has become fashionable for nobles to have gnomish jesters in their courts. There are rumors that these jesters also serve as spies for their respective courts, making use of their inherent magical abilities and small size.

Half-elves are the product of rare love affairs between elves and humans. Although most half-elves inherit most traits from their human parents, they often retain faint elven traits: pointed ears, angular features, and green or violet eyes. They have no communities of their own and tend to adopt the prevailing human fashions of their homeland.

Although half-elves are at risk in nations such as Falkovnia and Tepest, they do not face the same level of animosity that many other nonhumans face in human lands. Half-elves generally pitied by both humans and elves; some even consider half-elves mildly cursed by their heritage. It is said that half-elves are doomed to outlive their human loved ones and to grow old and die before the eyes of their elven kin. They find it difficult to maintain long-term relationships. Forced into the life of an outsider -- though not reviled like calibans -- half-elves often pride themselves on their iconoclastic nature. Many pour their alienation and anguish into artistic pursuits, becoming musicians or wandering bards.

Homelands:

Like calibans, half-elves are creatures of unusual birth. A half-elf may be born to a wandering elf in any nation, but most hail from the regions surrounding the elven lands of Sithicus or eastern Darkon.

Names: Half-elves can have any human or elven name, though being outcasts, many reject their given names and adopt dramatic titles like "the Wind Haunter," "the Deathseeker," "the Scarlet Wanderer," or "the Friend of Shadows."

Halflings are tiny humanoids, easily mistaken at first for human children. Halflings do possess a childlike curiosity about the world around them, which often expresses itself as wanderlust. Halflings prefer simple, comfortable garb and avoid ostentation. Halfling hair and eye color is usually dark brown.

Halflings are lucky enough to avoid most of the animosity that other nonhumans face. With their small size and lack of supernatural powers, halflings present humans with little to fear. Humans respect halflings' courage and general good nature--sometimes to a fault. Humans often treat halflings with good-intentioned condescension, believing that all halflings are as innocent and harmless as the young children they resemble.

Halflings enjoy the gentle comforts of the world that many other demi-human races seem to overlook. They do not crave gold like the dwarves; if they have enough money to live comfortably, they are content. The gems and jewels that fascinate gnomes interest them only as curiosities. The high grandeur of a typical elf's lifestyle also has little appeal to them, for it is often so pretentious as to be uncomfortable.

Halfling culture is pastoral. They keep their gardens, raise a few pigs or chickens, and avoid having more to do with outsiders than they can help.

Homelands:

Most halflings are nomadic, wandering in clans from one nation to another. Unlike the constantly wandering Vistani, however, halflings tend to take root in a given area for a few years, experiencing all it has to offer before moving on. Any settlement in Ravenloft of sufficient size may boast a halfling community, though these may be ghettoes. Some halflings have settled down to form permanent communities. The largest of these are in the Darkonese cities of Rivalis and Delagia.

Half-Vistani, or "giogoto" in the Vistani language, are the result of a union between a Vistana and a "giorgio" (any non-Vistani human). Unlike the other special races of Ravenloft, half-Vistani are entirely human. However, the traits they inherit from their Vistani blood separate them from normal men and women.

Love affairs between giorgio and Vistani are often torrid and brief. The cultural rift cuts deeply, so precious few giogoto ever grow up knowing both of their parents. Most often, the Vistana moves on in the night abandoning the child to the giorgio. Rarely, a giogoto child is raised by the tribe of its Vistani parent. In either case, the child may be cared for but is never truly accepted. The half-Vistani's giorgio family may fear that the child will develop the peculiar talents of her Vistani kin, and since the giogoto is not fully "of the blood," she finds herself unable to share the entire worlds of Vistani experiences.

Broken homes are the giogoto's birthright. Many spend their lives haunted by their youth; a rejected child often matures into a sullen and withdrawn adult. It is no small matter to straddle the cultural rift of their birth, so most giogoto choose to adopt one culture over the other. Regardless of the heritage they favor, half-Vistani tend to be passionate and pessimistic individuals.

Half-Vistani resemble their Vistani parents, often inheriting their angular and aquiline features, eyes and hair of deep brown or black, and dusky or olive complexions. Of course, giogoto often exhibit traits of their giorgio heritage as well. Half-Vistani are capable of hiding their Vistani heritage from the giorgio, but such tricks fail against true Vistani, who can identify those who are "of the blood" with but a glance.

Giogoto are caught between two worlds; giorgio treat them like Vistani and Vistani treat them like giorgio. A half-Vistani's outlook towards nonhumans usually mirrors that of their homeland, though it is not uncommon for them to be more accepting towards other "unwelcome" races such as calibans and half-elves.

Homelands:

The Vistani endlessly wander throughout the Land of Mists, so a giogoto may be born in any nation. The ruthless oppression of the Vistani in Invidia makes native half-Vistani rare in that realm, while they are slightly more common in neighboring Barovia. No permanent half-Vistani communities exist within the Land of Mists.

Recommended Feats: Alertness, Artist, Blooded

Base Outcast Rating: 2, though a half-Vistani skilled at disguising one's self can reduce his OR to 0

Half-Vistani raised by giorgio typically adopt the prevalent faith of their homeland. Giogoto raised by the Vistani are seldom religious; the Vistani worship no gods and have many legends of their cruel mistreatment at the hands of godlike beings in the distant past. Some Vistani, particularly those of the Vatraska tribe, treat fate, the Mists, and the forces of nature with a respect that approaches reverence, however.

Tribal Heritage: A half-Vistani character must select a tribe from the following list at the time of creation, reflecting the branch of his/her Vistani ancestry. This tribe determines additional benefits.